BIBLIOGRAPHY
Janeczko, Paul. 1998. THAT SWEET DIAMOND: BASEBALL POEMS. Ill. by Carole Katchen. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0689807350.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
That Sweet Diamond: Baseball Poems is a love story to the game of baseball. It perfectly captures the experience of attending a game, from the hot dog vendors to the plays on the field to the uber-fan. There are nineteen poems, each paired with a pastel illustration by Carole Kitchen on the facing page. The illustrations have an other-worldly quality in an impressionistic format which breathes life into the movement of the game.
The poems are a combination of formats, including both rhyming and nonrhyme. The rhythmn is strong, with the beats of the poem appropriately matching the action Janeczko is trying to convery in each baseball scene. Kids will especially love the poem about spit, as well as the one about the old lady who sits in Section 7, Row 1, Seat 3. Peppered throughout the poems are the English essentials teachers crave: similes and metaphors. They flow organically throughout and will serve as models for how to craft comparisons which bring poetry to life for the reader.
SPOTLIGHT POEM AND LESSON
This lesson is appropriate for upper elementary and middle school. My target objective would be to help kids understand that poems can be about anything the author cares about, including this poem: How to Spit. After reading the poem, I would engage the kids in a brainstorm about other, seemingly unimportant, topics they could write a poem about. Then, I would share a few more poems from the book and give the kids time to write a poem of their own about any topic.
How to Spit
At the plate,
never without an attitude:
arrogance or annoyance.
Never as if you were just spitting.
And always for an audience.
Practice
is the key
to developing your style.
Check the wind.
Concentrate.
Don't dribble.
A spray is as pitiful
as fouling to the catcher.
Noise is optional.
Save the practical spit
for the pocket of your mitt.
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